Cocoa and compound chocolate (confectioner's chocolate) are prepared customarily with material derived from roasted cocoa bean nibs. In recent times the scarcity of cocoa beans, brought about by adverse weather conditions and other factors, has caused the price of all products obtained from cocoa beans to rise dramatically. Cocoa bean processors, and manufacturers of all products consisting of or containing chocolate or any material derived from the cocoa bean, e.g. cocoa, cocoa butter, etc., have been forced to seek some means of reducing the cost of many products usually prepared with or from cocoa bean materials. The present invention is concerned with the development of materials which may be used to reduce or perhaps replace, the amount of cocoa bean derived material in cocoa or compound chocolate.
An ideal substitute for cocoa bean derived material in cocoa or compound chocolate must have physical properties and attributes most nearly approximating bean derived materials including color, consistency, mouth and taste. That is, it is not enough to merely provide chocolate flavor (there are many such imitation flavors available), nor is it enough to provide chocolate-like color. Cocoa, for example, is used in many recipes where it provides flavor, color, bulk, mouth feel, appearance, etc. to a food product. One cannot merely substitute a small amount of imitation chocolate flavor to cocoa in such recipes because the bulk producing property and other characteristics of cocoa will be lacking.
In the present application, "cocoa" or "cocoa powder" refers to the material produced by pulverizing or grinding the cake or cocoa matter obtained by subjecting chocolate liquor to strong hydraulic pressure to remove some of the fat or "cocoa butter." Cocoa or cocoa powder is recognized in the United States as a "breakfast cocoa" containing not less than 22% cocoa fat, "medium fat cocoa" containing between 14 and 18% cocoa fat, and "low fat cocoa" containing less than 10% to 12% cocoa fat. Compound chocolate or "confectionary coating" refers to that combination of cocoa, vegetable fat, sugar, milk solids and flavor typically used by candy manufacturers to coat centers or candy bars.